3 Most common computer-related scams

I received an e-mail from a viewer about a scam, which included a question that many of us can benefit from.

Brie writes, "My husband's computer was hit with the Green Dot Moneypak FBI malware/virus. Although it has been around for a while, seems to have been lost in the minds of most people with all of the new scams. Can we get a reminder of some of the 'older' scams that are still lurking in the shadows?"

Brie, that's a great question and a great idea. There are a lot of scams out there that we can talk about for hours. But for now, let's focus on the three most common online scams we've been hearing about for the last year.

1. Microsoft technician scam

The first one is a combination phone and computer scam. It involves a call from someone claiming to be a Microsoft technician who has detected a problem on your computer.

They ask you to go to your computer and go to a few different websites to fix the problem. What the caller is actually doing is hijacking your computer because Microsoft never calls consumers, who have to call them.

Now, if you fall for that one, we believe that it leads to the scam Brie was talking about -- the FBI Moneypak scam.

2. FBI Moneypak scam

You get a warning on your computer that claims to be from the FBI, telling you your computer has been locked because you've been viewing porn or you've been illegally downloading music (see how to unlock your computer here).

It tells you to get a Green Dot Moneypak card worth several hundred dollars and enter the card number in the space on the screen.

If you're really in trouble with the FBI, they will not communicate with you like this. They will knock on your door.

3. Online rental scam

Most often, this one runs through the Craigslist website, but can appear in many places on the internet.

The scammer places on ad for a rental home at a very low price. Through e-mail they tell the victim that they're in a foreign country and they're just looking for someone to occupy the home and take care of the property.

The victim is asked to wire transfer money for a rental deposit and the scammer disappears.

Remember, scammers are at work every minute of every day. So educate yourself and protect yourself.

List: Top 10 scams to watch out for

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The Better Business Bureau named its list of top scams for 2012. Take a look at which scam tops the list.